IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

The strong declarer has learned to pay close attention to every card played.  That ability, combined with a recall of the auction, allowed this declarer to succeed in a marginal contract.  Take a look.

Scoring:  Matchpoints (pairs)

Hand #7
Dlr   N
Vul E/W
S Q10
H J954
D KJ8
C AK84
S A9862
H 10
D Q96
C Q752
    
S KJ73
H A32
D 5432
C 109

S 54
H KQ876
D A107
C J63
West North
 East
 South

1C Pass
 1H
    1S     2H     3S     4H
All Pass
     
   
 
BIDDING:  Each player bid aggressively.  At the end, South feared E/W could make 3S and he hoped to go down only one trick in 4H. 

PLAY:  West led ace and a second spade to East's king.  East exited with ace and another heart.  Declarer won, drew the last trump, and stopped to analyze the hand.  He realized West probably held both minor suit queens for his overcall but it was the club queen that concerned him.  Knowing from the auction West held only five spades and from the play so far only one heart, it was possible but unlikely the queen of clubs was alone or doubleton in West's hand.  With no attractive alternative, declarer played a low club to dummy's ace and noticed the nine from East.  Another possibility now presented itself: East might hold the 109 doubleton of clubs.  Declarer came back to his hand with the diamond ace to lead the jack of clubs from his hand.  West covered and declarer was delighted to see the ten from East.  It was now routine to ruff a club to his hand and take the diamond finesse through West and claim ten tricks.

Copyright ©2008 Larry Matheny.     stats